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    Alton Restaurant

    3.2 (38 reviews)
    InexpensiveChinese

    Alton Restaurant Photos

    ALTON RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Alton Restaurant

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    Vivian L.

    Okay..hear me out. I get it. It might be extremely dated looking but their food is like mom's cooking. It's the ultimate comfort Chinese food. Their portions are big and prices are still comparable to others. They make good daily soups and desserts still for your meal. I love their tea time menu as well. It's really one one of those places you just need to try. I recommend their thousand Island crispy shrimp balls. Omg addicting and so yummy!!!

    Joyce K.

    My group of 6 made a reservation for 5:30 pm at Alton Restaurant on a Thursday evening. Surprisingly, there were a good amount of people at the relatively early dinner time when we first entered. There was an interesting collection of household supplies such as toilet paper, tissues, and cleaning supplies at the front of the restaurant. We ordered shrimp, lobster noodles, fried oysters, a beef pot, chicken, and sweet yam soup at the end. The shrimp was really good and my favorite part of the meal. The lobster noodles were also good and came with soy milk, but it was interestingly just one serving, so it couldn't be shared with the entire table. The fried oysters were a bit bland without any of the seasoning, so I would definitely recommend dipping it in the provided sauce. The beef pot had really tender and flavorful beef and the sweet yam soup was a great finish to the meal. Overall, Alton restaurant is a great spot for authentic Chinese food, so I would definitely recommend it if you're in the area! I also saw many takeout orders near the entrance, so this also seems like a really popular spot for takeout!

    Pork neck lotus root
    Jason T.

    Service was good. No one yelled at me for anything, as others said they had experienced. Service Was friendly. They Checked on us if all was good. Food was tasty and good value. Good to buy a few dishes and bring home, save the leftovers to bring to work for lunch. It's not a place to bring a date, unless they are a value hunter too.

    Grouper and butter in black bean sauce with rice noodles
    Daniel C.

    There's not a lot of places where you can get a full meal for $10 but this is one of them. Service: They separated the noodles from the sauce on purpose as they knew it was a takeout order to keep the noodles from getting soggy which is appreciated. Food: Grouper and bitter melon in black bean with rice noodles. Tons of noodles. Would have liked a bit more sauce but I think it was fine. Grouper is bone-in, in case you don't like bones but I didn't mind - some prefer bone-in for the flavor. Bitter melon done well so it wasn't super bitter. 4/5 Chow mein - The noodles are crunchy and fresh. The toppings were good with variety but definitely not as exciting toppings as a typical Cantonese chow mein. 3.5/5. Soup: Nothing exciting. A bit overly salty and tasted like mainly msg. I'd pass on the soup - 2/5. Milk tea - delicious, smooth, creamy, right amount of sweetness. 5/5. Price: Less than 10$ for a massive dish of noodles, soup and drink (milk tea or coffee). That's a lot of bang for your buck.

    No. 1 comfort food for Cantonese

    This beef and rice noodles combo is well prepared with traditional hot daily soup and various drinks for customers' selection. Restaurant service is friendly and efficiently no matter dine in or take out. Party tray is available but dinner business hour ends 8:00

    Sheila C.

    It was ok...for the price you pay and the variety of food you can get for the family dinner combos, it really is a deal. You can get 4 different dishes for $40 which is a steal at this time. The food quality unfortunately for me was a bit poor. The shrimp dish we ordered felt like the shrimp was near expiration. Although the sauces were well made, we could tell that it could have been better. The fish filet expelled a lot of liquid and gave the dish a fishy taste and was watery. Overall, it was not a great experience. I do not think I will be returning.

    Seafood Garlic Fried Rice
    Rachel C.

    This place is a genuine, everyday HK cafe with no embellished attempt at a gimmick. It is what it is and that is fast service, fast served food, and giving you what you ordered exactly. I reccomend getting the combos because each dish comes with one drink of your choice (milk tea, coffee, etc.). Certain drinks cost extra but overall everything is very affordable and not too overpriced. In my opinion, it's very value for your money. They serve lunch and dinner. Technically, they have breakfast mixed into their lunch menu but they open at 11AM so it's not exactly an early breakfast HK cafe. The dinner I've had here before is alright, nothing special so I mainly just come here for lunch. Warning: beware chipped bowls and cups.

    Abalone with sea cucumber and snow pea leaves
    Wendy H.

    First time trying this restaurant with my family, and thankfully, they made a reservation because it was busy for the start of the Lunar New Year. We got a combo and substituted one of the dishes for the beef with broccoli and cashews. Almost all the dishes were good and seasoned well. The only food complaint would be the e-fu noodles, they're quite bland. The service was okay, they're nice and quick, but they expect you to make space on the table when there's no more space. The atmosphere is worse for wear. There's a bunch of stuff that resembles a convenience store when you first enter, but it's actually for their reward system. It's cool they have one, but it could be better organized.

    A Y.

    Alton is a fun one to review. Why? The rating goes from 2 stars to 4 stars depending on your expectation. 4 stars if you love love love low prices, mostly meat and vegetables, good portion, and you are willing to forego decor, ambiance and some level of cleanliness in exchange for a cheapo meal - seriously one the cheapest Chinese restaurants near Markham, if not the cheapest. Posted prices include **a big bowl of rice and sales tax**. The vegetable and meat dishes taste decent/A-OK. The deep fried dishes are surprisingly decent. Spicy dishes are "Cantonese" spicy, and they hit the sweet spot. 3 stars if you love low prices very much, yet you want a bit of decor, ambiance, and take cleanliness seriously - I am serious when I say this is a no frills place. Think bare walls with color paper menu. Everything is dated. 2 stars if you want seafood - I would only order deep fried seafood, such as deep fried fish fillets, deep fried squids. The fried/deep fried shrimps aren't good, though. Fish fillets that are not deep fried aren't too good either. The services aren't bad for a basic Chinese eatery. Straight up, if a diner doesn't mind paying market prices, the food and the "retro" ambiance won't charm him. There is no food court in this mall, the communities in the nearby condos dine here often, so this is one of those community shops, so to speak,

    Jennifer K.

    Alton Restaurant might be the cheapest place for lunch in the whole Scarborough! $3.99 will get you a huge bowl of noodle and a drink before 5:30 pm, even cheaper than food court offerings! Tables and menus a little sticky, Waitress throwing menus across the tables. This is just so cheap and dirty Chinese. Great for a quick bite and don't expect gourmet food but this is cheaper than cooking at home!!

    Alex T.

    Pros: Lots of set dinners to choose from Cons: Menu's are predominantly Chinese Alton restaurant is you old school Chinese eatery. Don't expect any extra aesthetics and you'll be fine here. If you want a decent meal at a pretty good price, this place fits the bill We came in for dinner on a Sunday night. Although busy, there are many tables and turnover is pretty quick. We were seated within 10 minutes of coming in with no reservation. As with a lot of Chinese restaurants like Alton, they have a large amount of set meals to choose from. If you don't like the pre-set ones, you can create your own from the list of dishes they have. The dishes range from about $9 to $12 I believe. The good thing about this place is, that dishes all come with rice and tax is included with all the prices. You can took a look at my pics to see what I ordered. The food comes out lightning quick after you order it. The dishes for the most part all tasted fine. Don't expect anything to blow your mind. The theme for this place is "gets the job done" if you ask me. You won't come to a place to try and impress anyone. Just come to get a decent meal at an OK price. My only gripe is that most of the menus we were given were only written in Chinese. If you follow my reviews, I'm not a fan of this place no matter the culture of food. There should be English menus of some sort. All in all, I like places like Alton. It's a no frills type of place that won't disappoint if you come with the right expectations. The mantra is decent food at a decent price. You won't go wrong if you come with this thought in mind.

    My cup of tea came with a rice stuck to the rim.  Before we even looked at the menu. Interesting
    Nate Y.

    I returned to this restaurant after about 3 years. The reason why i never came back the first time was because there was a giant horsefly that i almost mistaken for a fermented black bean in my dish. anyways, the unlimited rice option and line up out the door enticed me to give it another try. It is quite mediocre. the food prices are generally pretty good here. but the portions do seem smaller. Food is only a tad above Chinese food court quality. But i guess it is still an affordable no frills family restaurant. One thing to note is that i saw some regulars getting dishes that seem to be quite large.. when i ordered the dish it came out much smaller. Not sure what that is all about.. Its not quite worth a 3 star but definitely doesn't deserve a 2 star rating.

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    6 years ago

    This is my childhood favorite and is still one. They always recognized me and I liked that. Food is great and everything overall is great

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    16 years ago

    Quick and dirty restaurant. Cheapy food, finish and go. HK style tea is delicious, but horrible washroom.

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    Swatow Restaurant

    Swatow Restaurant

    3.8
    (505 reviews)
    21.4 km
    $$

    But it's been a long time since I ate at Swatow and wanted to come here with my siblings for lunch…read moreon my birthday! And the food was delicious as always. I've been coming here for decades and I had many fond memories when I lived in the area. The place is a medium size restaurant and looked exactly the same. The service as fast as usual. Usually there's a long line to get in but we got a table for four right away on a Sunday after 1pm. Then after we ordered our server offered us a larger table which we really appreciated. And glad we did because all the dishes were huge! We ordered to share: -Ginger Scallion Lobster -Shrimps in lobster sauce on rice -Cantonese Chow Mein -Fried squid -Spring rolls Everything tasted great and fresh but I wish the ginger scallion lobster tasted better. It wasn't the same as the one I had at another restaurant on Baldwin St. that closed many years ago. But it was still so nice to return to this iconic Chinatown restaurant.

    Use to be the spot, decided to come here for lunch with my mom…read more Food was great, there was no interaction other than the waitress standing by their designated spot gossiping. Ordered my regular Stir Fried Beef rice noodle (lots of Wok Hei) and Fried bean curd with vegetables. Food came out great and tasted great. The only thing I did not like was when my mom barely finish they brought out the bill to rush us out. It wasn't that busy since it was after the lunch rush hour. The thing is when the bill came they overcharged us by a buck and we just decided to leave it be along with tipping them greatly. There was absolutely no interaction or even a thanks for stopping by and come back for more. This was my fave spot to eat whenever I'm craving for Chinese food, guess I will have to find something else. It's also cash only since they have an atm by the washroom entrance.

    Photos
    Busy takeout going on this wintertime Friday evening at Swatow.
    Busy takeout going on this wintertime Friday evening at Swatow.
    Beef Stir Fry Rice Noodle
    Beef Stir Fry Rice Noodle
    Fried Clams w/ Black Bean Sauce

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    Fried Clams w/ Black Bean Sauce
    Juicy Dumpling

    Juicy Dumpling

    4.2
    (724 reviews)
    21.6 km
    $

    This was SO GOOD. I understand why it was so busy inside because these soup dumplings were amazing…read more We got them within 5 ish minutes of waiting, and they were so warm and juicy, and they gave us some soy sauce and hot sauce to add onto them, which just made them so much better in flavor. I devoured them in like 10 seconds. The ambiance is super casual like literally just 3 tables and the rest is standing space.

    we were picking up medication at the nearby pharmacy and decided to stop by at Juicy Dumpling since…read moreI haven't had Chinese dumplings and bun's in so long! It was so packed but my brother was able to save a table while I did the ordering. This was a very casual and self service type of restaurant in which you can order at the front desk or at their kiosk. They had a limited time "promotion" going on in which you can order a maximum of 2 orders of their xiaolongbao or steamed mini soup dumplings for $2.99 with a minimum spend of $10. But honestly, I've seen this promotion since last year so I'm thinking it's actually a permanent offer. We ordered two orders of their pan fried pork buns, 1 order of their pan fried chicken dumplings, and 2 order of their promotional steamed mini soup dumplings. I thought everything tasted pretty good. The pan fried buns and dumplings were very crispy and quite juicy. My only nitpick is that I wished they put some kind of veggies or chives in their filling. It was just meat and felt too 1 dimensional for me. The steamed mini soup dumplings was actually really good though which is such a surprise at this price point. The outer layer was very thin and the filling was packed with soup. It was very delicious and hearty. Are these the best Chinese dumplings and bun's I've ever had ? No, but they were great especially for the price point. I would definitely come back again next time I am craving Chinese dumplings and buns. Also they take Amex which is always a plus in my book.

    Photos
    Counter
    Counter
    Cross-section of my pan-fried chicken dumpling
    Cross-section of my pan-fried chicken dumpling
    Pan-fried chicken dumpling

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    Pan-fried chicken dumpling
    Chopfire

    Chopfire

    5.0
    (5 reviews)
    21.3 km

    I've been craving Szechuan-style whole grilled fish for the longest time, so I was really happy…read morewhen I stumbled across this spot while walking on Spadina. The posters outside caught my eye, and I decided to come back with a group of three friends to try it out. We came a bit late around 8 PM, and most of the fish were already sold out except the original. We ended up ordering the Signature Spicy Grilled BBQ Fish ($40), a whole fish served bubbling hot with three toppings (potatoes, spam, and lotus root). You can choose between catfish and turbot, we chose the turbot fish. It looked extremely spicy, but the spice level was actually perfect. It was a bit on the oily side, but pairing it with rice balanced it out nicely. The fish was very tender and buttery, everything tasted amazing! We also ordered the Stir-Fried Egg with Tomato. The eggs were soft, the tomato sauce was rich. Not to mention the portion size was huge, we even had leftovers after eating until we were full. The restaurant itself was spacious, clean, and had plenty of seating. I think they were doing some sort of promotion so they gave us a $25 off coupon, though it expired pretty quickly so we didn't get to use it. I'd definitely come back for that grilled fish.

    This is a new Chinese restaurant featuring Hunan and Szechuan cuisine. The spicy dishes emphasize…read morespiciness, not numbness. A few of their dishes come out on a sizzling plate with flames underneath. They are still in soft-opening mode with several specials. You can see the menus via a QR code. The Hunan cuisine is listed as "Hunan Noodles" and the Szechuan cuisine is listed as "Chopfire Menu". The Szechuan dishes are listed with 1 to 3 chilies representing the spiciness. If you can't handle spicy, then avoid eating the chili pieces and you might "survive". The restaurant decided to minimize their food offerings so that they can focus on refining their dishes in terms of quality and taste, including from customer feedback. We ordered the following: 1. Signature Spicy Grilled BBQ Fish ($39.95). 2. Home Stir Fried Beef ($21.95). 3. Bullfrog with Baby Ginger ($19.95). 4. Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Pork ($15.95). 5. Drunk Oolong (charcoal roasted oolong tea base) x 2 ($5.95 x 2). 6. Lemon Taro Balls ($7.95). We also saw the following: 7. Stir-Fried Sliced Pork with Green Pepper Noodle Soup ($9.99). First 10 customers each day, only pays $1.00. 8. Ink Painting Cocktail ($5.95). The Signature Spicy Grilled BBQ Fish came out on a huge sizzling platter. The BBQ Fish, a Turbot Fish, was very fresh and flaky, easily coming off the bone. There is no head attached like at typical Chinese restaurants but it would not have fit in the platter. The platter had a delicious sauce (soupy consistency and not sweet), luncheon meat slices, lotus root slices, and two other vegetables, along with chili pieces. The entire dish tasted great together with the various flavours. The menu listed it as 2-chili spicy but I could handle it by avoiding the chili pieces. The Home Stir Fried Beef is tender. It is listed as 3-chili but I could handle it by avoiding the chili pieces. The Bullfrog with Baby Ginger has the bullfrog cut up in little pieces; no you don't see a whole frog! The meat was actually good but most pieces have bones in it, so it takes time to eat it carefully. There was ginger slices in it but it, but we thought the slices were quite large! The Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Pork was very delicious! It came in a sizzling plate. The Cauliflower was flavourful and was not crunchy and not too soft. I've never had preserved pork slices before; it was quite good, not as salty as Chinese preserved vegetables. The Drunk Oolong has comes in a small bowl a with gin and ice. On the side, they include pieces of the charcoal roasted oolong tea leaves so you can smell it; quite a good smell indeed. You can also order it without the gin, which is what I ordered for mine (since I don't drink alcohol). It was such a nice drink! The Lemon Taro Balls dessert was pretty. In the centre was a slice of lemon. The customer service was good. There is plenty of indoor table and counter seating, including a small private room at the back. There is also an outdoor patio during warmer weather. There is pop music playing in the background. There is no free WiFi. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, but there is no door-open button. There are two gender-neutral washrooms downstairs, so they are not wheelchair accessible. There is paid neighbourhood street parking. Review 2025-026

    Photos
    Beautiful modern interior design is a treat for your eyes.
    Beautiful modern interior design is a treat for your eyes.
    Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Pork ($15.95)
    Stir-Fried Cauliflower with Preserved Pork ($15.95)
    Bullfrog with Baby Ginger ($19.95)

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    Bullfrog with Baby Ginger ($19.95)
    Mott 32

    Mott 32

    4.2
    (25 reviews)
    21.5 km

    Mott 32 absolutely feels like one of those places where the entire experience matters just as much…read moreas the food. From the moment we walked in, the space already set the tone.. dark, dramatic, elegant, and beautifully designed without feeling overly stiff. It has that upscale energy that makes dinner feel like an occasion before you've even ordered anything. Food-wise, there was a lot to love. The signature apple wood roasted Peking duck was definitely a highlight, especially with the tableside carving, which made the whole experience feel even more polished and memorable. The skin had that beautiful lacquered finish, and the duck was rich, flavorful, and very satisfying. We also ordered a few larger dishes for the table, and I really appreciated how everything still felt refined without losing that comforting, indulgent side of Chinese dining. Some dishes leaned rich and luxurious, others were lighter and more aromatic, so the meal never felt repetitive. Service was another standout. Attentive without hovering, smooth without being too formal.. exactly the kind of service you hope for in a restaurant like this. Overall, Mott 32 is absolutely the kind of place I'd come back to for a special dinner, celebration, or just one of those nights when you want the meal to feel a little more elevated than usual.

    Finally back for dim sum…read more First off, they need to fix their reservation system. Don't accept 1:45pm reservations if the dining room closes at 2pm. Also, when we call to check if dim sum is being served, it makes sense to inform us of the dining room closure instead of having us come in anyway. We settled for eating in the lounge which ended up being good because bartender, Aiki?, was excellent as our server. Really great. Ordered the following: King prawn Har gow: standard. Not worth the premium Mott charges. Miso black cod dumpling: not good. Wouldn't order again Shredded Peking Duck Spring Roll, Sliced Vegetable : Excellent. We loved this! Nice and crunchy. Delicious duck inside. Good vinegar dipping sauce. Good volume Hot & Sour Iberico Pork Shanghainese Soup Dumplings: Fantastic and unique. The dumplings don't really need dipping sauce since inside there is a hot and sour soup along with pork. These are unique and delicious. Fried Wagyu beef taro croquette : pretty good but really tasted like a Jamaican patty Cold noodle with shredded duck : very generous with meat. Honestly a lot more than any other restaurant that serves this. To be fair no one charges this much either so it should. Flavour could be stronger but certainly decent. Fresh Mango, Coconut, Glutinous Rice Roll: nice fresh dessert. Our favourite. Frozen xiao long bao with chocolate and nut: Tastes like a mochi. Not bad. Dragonball Zen - fun name. Delicious drink. Jasmine Dragon Ball Infused Tanqueray Gin / Peach Liquor Lime / Rose Water / Mint / Seltzer Over $200 for this meal before tip. It's premium an debatable if with it. Will be back but just occasionally.

    Photos
    Dining area level 3
    Dining area level 3
    Crispy duck skin
    Crispy duck skin
    Frog legs

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    Frog legs
    Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodles

    Mogouyan Hand-Pulled Noodles

    4.5
    (160 reviews)
    20.8 km
    $$

    I got the Braised Beef Noodles with classic noodles. Great food! I am traveling in Toronto for work…read moreand stopped by when I started craving home cooked beef soup. I am taiwanese and I have to say this was delicious. There is someone actually making noodles in the back. Service was quick and very nice and upbeat. My server was Kelly and she was great- I ate in and took what I didnt finish to-go and she even separated my noodles from the broth! The mango green tea was also fantastic. Thank you!

    Toronto Review 4/Many: I went to this excellent Lanzhou spot with another person as one of my…read moreearlier meals. Our server, Sophia, was bubbly and friendly, giving suggestions and helping with the ordering process for the other person who wasn't as sure what they wanted. We eventually went with two appetizers and two entrees, which was more than enough food, and honestly, we could have only ordered one appetizer. The better of the two appetizers was the CAD 8.95 Hand Shredded Pepper Chicken/手撕椒麻雞/Shou Si Ji. The dish consists of cold chicken in a flavorful sauce, topped with some greens. The chicken was tender, with a mild, pleasant spice and a bit of numbingness from the Sichuan peppercorns, along with some fragrance, presumably from sesame oil. It reminded me a bit of salivating chicken you find in some Szechuan spots, but it was more aromatic and a bit less spicy. The other appetizer was the Steamed Edamame/岩鹽毛豆 with Himalayan pink salt for CAD 5.95. The other person chose between this and the vegetable dumplings, as he avoids pork, and it was, of course, lighter than the other appetizer. The decent portion of edamame was topped with some pickled carrots as a garnish. My main dish was the Braised Beef Noodles/紅燒牛肉面/Hong Shao Niu Rou Mian. The dish included several options, including size, noodle style, and spice level. I chose the large for CAD $20.95, medium spice, and for the noodle style, I chose flat/宽面, as it was closest to the prism style I like at Lanzhou spots in the States. Along with these, I also added a tea egg for an extra CAD 2.95. Outside the add-on, the dish also had a couple of large slices of radish. Compared to some spots in NYC, I slightly preferred the QQ/bouncy texture of the noodles at a spot near me. However, the broth was better here with a balanced amount of mala, though I would likely order spicy next time, as I tend to add chili oil to the relatively lighter Lanzhou broths. The beef was also much better, being tender with a mild chew regardless of whether it was tendon or other cuts. The tea egg was flavorful and worth the add-on, especially when the inside was dipped further into the broth. I can see why others order this. The other person went with the Signature Stir-fried Noodles/招牌炒面/Chao Tatiaozi. There was an option of protein, and he went with Chicken for $17.95 and added the same egg. I tried a bit, and there was a pleasant pepperiness with a bit of numbing flavor, but less than my dish. The noodles had a good bounciness and overall had a slightly better chewiness than mine. This was lighter overall, but also tasty. This spot has apparently come to the US already at the Mall of America, and I would love it if there were a location closer to me. Good place.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Hand Shredded Pepper Chicken/手撕椒麻雞/Shou Si Ji. 8.95. Excellent version
    Hand Shredded Pepper Chicken/手撕椒麻雞/Shou Si Ji. 8.95. Excellent version
    Interior

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    Interior

    Alton Restaurant - chinese - Updated August 2026

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